Edutainment > Utagawa Hiroshige II - 1829-1869

Utagawa Hiroshige II continued the work of the great ukiyo-e
master Ando Hiroshige and created several series of landscape prints.

First Publication: January 2002
Latest Update: April 2014

Shigenobu Ichirysai

The original name of Hiroshige II was Chinpei Suzuki.
According to tradition his master,
Ando Hiroshige,
gave him an artist name -
usually derived from the first or last part of the master's
name. Hiroshige I gave his gifted pupil the name Shigenobu.

Shigenobu was integrated into the family and was
adopted by the great master when his own son had died in
1845. After Ando Hiroshige's death, Shigenobu married Otatsu, an adopted
daughter of Hiroshige I.

From Shigenobu to Hiroshige II

Hiroshige I (Ando) died in 1858 and Shigenobu took his master's go
calling himself Hiroshige Ichirysai. In the literature he is
generally referred as Utagawa Hiroshige II.

Unfortunately the marriage
with his master's daughter was not a happy one. Around 1865
the couple was divorced and the unfortunate ex-husband
moved to Yokohama. He then used the name Ryusho,
but also his original name Shigenobu.

But he was not doing so well any more.
Literature sources report that he had to earn his living by
painting tea boxes and lanterns for export and that he
died in complete poverty four years after his divorce.

Otatsu, his divorced wife, remarried - another pupil of
her father, namely Shigemasa. Shigemasa from then on called
himself Hiroshige III.

Woodblock Prints by Hiroshige II

Hiroshige II continued the landscape style of his master
without adding much creativity of his own.
He tried to continue the formula of success by publishing
more "Famous Views of ..." landscape series.

One Hundred Views of Famous Places in Various Provinces (1859-1861)

Forty-Eight Views of Famous Places of Edo (1860-1865)

The Eight Scenic Views of the Sumida River (1861)

Thirty-Six Views of Eastern Capital (1861-1862)

Thirty-Six Flowers of Famous Places in Tokyo (1866)

Collecting Hiroshige II Prints

Hiroshige II prints are good and solid works. Some are
appreciated as outstanding and collectors are willing to pay a
high price for them. Foremost the winter landscape
ukiyo-e
of Hiroshige II are to be mentioned.

Collectors should know that the three Hiroshige artists used
the same signatures during certain phases of their artistic
work.

Literature sources used for this Hiroshige II biography

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